The present invention relates to a remotely controlled gate opener suitable for use with pivoting gates and doors. This gate opener is preferably battery powered and can be used in remote locations where alternating current is not readily available.
As farming and cattle raising operations have become more mechanized, a need has arisen for a remotely controlled gate opener for use with fence gates. Cars and trucks are often used now where horses served in the past, and gates which could be readily operated in the past are now an inconvenience. For example, a driver who wants to bring his truck into a fenced area provided with a conventional gate must leave his truck twice: once to open the gate and a second time to close the gate after the truck has been driven through. Thus, a need exists for a simple, reliable, and sturdy gate opener which can be used with conventional gates and remotely operated from a car or truck.
Remotely controlled garage door openers have been in common use for some time. Such door openers generally make use of an overhead structure which serves to support the door opener and the linkage which interconnects the opener and the door. Such door openers are poorly suited for use with pivoting fence gates, which are commonly constructed without any associated overhead structure suitable for mounting the opener.
Attempts have been made to provide gate openers suitable for use with outdoor gates. U.S. Pat. No. 3,839,826 to Ries is one example. However, the Ries gate opener requires the use of a particular type of gate, one which pivots about a horizontal rather than a vertical axis. Thus, the Ries gate opener is not well suited for use with conventional gates of the type which pivot about a vertical gatepost.